Chapter 13: A World Rotten to its Core
The banquet concluded amidst thunderous applause, the guests’ faces alight with newfound hope.
Emperor Wadsworth had arranged a luxurious carriage for Qin Chu, accompanied by a retinue of elite guards handpicked from the Imperial City Garrison.
Angelica walked alongside the carriage, her pale face reflecting the emotional turmoil she had endured. As his personal maid, her place was by his side.
But Pope Augustus wasn’t ready to let her go.
“Angelica,” he called out, his voice firm yet gentle.
She flinched, her body trembling slightly as she turned to face him. She knew what was coming.
“Hero,” the Pope said, his smile as smooth and unreadable as ever. “Angelica has some personal belongings at the Church. Would you mind if she returned to collect them?”
Despite Qin Chu’s current weakness, the Pope, along with the Emperor and the High Priestess, treated him with a deference bordering on obsequiousness.
They understood the Hero’s potential, the power he could wield. Antagonizing him now would be foolish.
Qin Chu knew exactly what the Pope was up to. He wanted to indoctrinate Angelica, to mold her into a puppet, a replacement for Loseweisse.
He nodded readily. “Of course, Your Holiness.”
He had already defied the old man once tonight. Pushing his luck further would be unwise. He needed to bide his time, to gather his strength.
Besides, even if he prevented her from returning to the Church now, he couldn’t keep her by his side constantly. The Pope would find another opportunity to manipulate her.
He waved to Angelica, then turned towards the waiting carriage. His gaze, however, snagged on a figure standing nearby.
A tall, muscular young man, clad in full plate armor that did little to conceal his impressive physique. His handsome face, though still bearing traces of youthful innocence, held a familiarity that sent a chill down Qin Chu’s spine.
“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice betraying no hint of his inner turmoil.
“Nikles, Hero,” the young man replied, snapping to attention, his voice strong and clear. “Captain of the Imperial City Guard Cavalry. I am here at His Majesty’s command to ensure your safety. Rest assured, Hero, no Demon will harm you under my watch.”
An exemplary soldier, Qin Chu thought, impressed by the young man’s composure in the presence of a Hero with two Super-tier Abilities.
Though he couldn’t gauge his exact level, he could sense the man’s strength. He was at least a Great Knight.
In this world, knights were ranked according to their level and combat prowess: 1-20, Knight; 21-40, Great Knight; 41-60, Furious Knight; 61-80, King Knight.
Above level eighty were the Titled Knights, each bestowed with a unique honorific denoting their exceptional skill.
Each rank was further divided into three tiers, based on the knight’s Abilities, skills, and overall mastery of combat.
A Great Knight, though only second in the hierarchy, was a formidable warrior. They formed the backbone of the Heavenly Continent’s armies.
Considering his youth, Nikles was clearly a talented individual, his potential boundless. With dedication and training, he could easily reach the rank of Furious Knight, perhaps even King Knight.
“You’re skilled with a spear, I presume?” Qin Chu asked, feigning casual interest.
Nikles, unsure why he had caught the Hero’s attention, nodded.
Qin Chu ran his fingers along the spear’s shaft, the cold steel smooth and polished. He flicked the spearhead, the metal ringing softly.
“Have you ever used this spear to pierce a human body?” he asked, tilting his head, his voice taking on a morbidly curious tone.
Nikles frowned, confused by the question. “I apologize, Hero, but I wouldn’t know. My spear is meant to protect the citizens of the capital. It is only ever pointed at Demons, never at humans.”
“However,” he added, “I have pierced countless Demons with this spear. I imagine the sensation is… similar.”
“I see,” Qin Chu murmured, his expression unreadable.
He turned and climbed into the carriage, leaving Nikles standing there, his brow furrowed in confusion.
As the carriage pulled away, Nikles barked orders to his men, positioning them around the vehicle, forming a protective barrier between the Hero and any potential threats.
Inside the carriage, Qin Chu’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flickering in their depths.
Nikles.
He looked so young, so innocent. But seven years from now, this same knight, the one who swore to only point his spear at Demons, would impale a young woman on its tip, her only crime defending the Hero’s name.
He would laugh as she writhed in agony, her broken body dangling from his spear, her blood staining the cobblestones.
He would enjoy her suffering.
What would twist this young man, this promising knight, into such a monster?
Qin Chu stared out the carriage window, his gaze taking in the cityscape bathed in the silvery light of the twin moons.
The wind howled, rustling the leaves of the trees lining the streets.
Carriages, their occupants returning from the banquet, rattled past, their wheels echoing against the cobblestones.
Magical lamps, spaced every ten meters, illuminated the streets, their soft glow banishing the darkness.
Even at this late hour, the inner city thrummed with activity, a world apart from the poverty and despair that festered beyond its walls.
Those lamps, powered by expensive Mana Crystals, were a testament to the city’s obscene wealth. Each crystal was worth a thousand Mana, enough to sustain a family of three for an entire year. Yet, here they were, used for mere illumination, a frivolous extravagance meant to prevent the nobles from stumbling in the dark.
The Heavenly Continent might be on the brink of collapse, but here, within the walls of the capital, there was no sense of urgency, no hint of the encroaching darkness.
This was paradise.
In the inner city, uneaten food from the banquet was discarded, piled high in designated disposal areas, destined to be incinerated.
In the outer city, children fought over scraps, their hunger a gnawing ache in their bellies.
A single wall, separating heaven from hell.
This world, Qin Chu thought, was rotten to its core.
He had once felt pity for the downtrodden, for the victims of this corrupt system. But they had betrayed him, cheered for his death, their faces twisted with a gleeful malice.
He would never forget their jeering laughter, the rotten eggs and vegetables splattering against his body, their venomous hatred a tangible force.
This world, from its highest echelons to its lowest depths, was beyond saving.
Perhaps there were still good people out there, but their kindness, like a single candle flame flickering in a blizzard, was easily extinguished.
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside as he opened his status panel.
Level: 13
Class: Hero
Strength: 19
Stamina: 19
Agility: 19
Mana: 62
Defense: 19
Charm: 6
Skills:
None!
Magic:
Illusion Creation: Intermediate Magic. You can create illusions.
Abilities:
Greed: Super-tier Ability. You crave power, hungering to possess all that you desire. Ability: Devourer—You can absorb the strength and abilities of others, making them your own.
Rage: Super-tier Ability. You are fueled by anger, your fury a weapon in its own right. Ability: Rage Explosion—When your rage peaks, you gain a temporary, but significant, boost to all attributes.
Forced Calm: High-tier Ability. You remain calm and collected under pressure, your mind shielded from emotional turmoil. Always active, can be manually disabled.
Lust: Special Ability. Super-tier Ability. Details hidden. Ability: Touch of Lust—Your touch can ignite the hidden desires of the opposite sex.
Shapeshifting: Intermediate Ability. You can freely alter your appearance.
With each level gained, his Strength, Stamina, Agility, Mana, and Defense increased by one point. His Charm, however, remained unchanged. It was a fixed attribute, determined at birth, only modifiable through extraordinary means.
The Phantom Demon, disguised as Count Donald, had been at least level sixty. Clearly, the Devourer Ability incurred a significant loss during the absorption process. Sixty levels worth of magic had only boosted his own level to thirteen, and his Mana had only increased by forty-three points.
Still, for a normal cultivator, reaching level thirteen would take months of dedicated training and combat experience. He had achieved it in less than a minute. Stealing power was clearly the most efficient way to level up.
With sixty-two Mana, he was now on par with a Great Mage.
Unfortunately, his only spell, Illusion Creation, had been stolen from the Phantom Demon, who hadn’t even had the chance to use it.
He had also acquired the Demon’s Shapeshifting Ability.
All in all, he was quite satisfied with his haul.
After nearly an hour, the carriage finally arrived at its destination. Calling it a “house” would be an understatement. It was a palace, a summer retreat for Emperor Wadsworth, now temporarily bestowed upon the Hero. The Emperor clearly spared no expense in ensuring his comfort and safety.
The estate, sprawling across several acres, was heavily guarded, hundreds of soldiers patrolling its perimeter, their presence a constant reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond its walls.
The carriage pulled into the courtyard, where servants, handpicked by the Emperor, awaited his arrival.
Nikles and his men followed closely, their vigilance unwavering. They wouldn’t leave his side until he was safely ensconced in his chambers.
“Nikles,” Qin Chu called out as they reached his bedroom door.
“At your service, Hero,” Nikles replied, snapping to attention.
Qin Chu yawned, stretching his arms, feigning exhaustion. “I’m weary from the journey,” he said, his voice heavy with fatigue. “No matter what happens, do not disturb me. Understand?”
Tonight, his revenge would begin.
He wouldn’t allow anyone to interfere.
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